When scientists make the thin metal films used in electronics, optics, and quantum technologies, they usually spend months tinkering with the temperature, composition and timing of the process, hoping to land on just the right recipe. Now, researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) have built a “self-driving” lab system that does this work on its own, using robotics and artificial intelligence to decide the next best step without waiting for a human.